Closer
by autumncaves
Summary: It's been 4 years with out chaos with the digital world, most of the younger kids are finishing up High School while the rest are finding themselves. But peace can only remain constant for so long, and fighting can only get you so far. (Takari mainly, but others too)
1. Chapter 1

I hope you enjoy this little story I've wanted to write for quite some time:) Not to sure where to take it yet though! We'll see.

Disclaimer: I don't own Digimon, lol.

**Chapter 1: So Many Years**

TK's POV

Nothing about it was weird, really.  
It was just us. Ironically and pleasantly intertwined in a form of distance.  
And I guess, there's always been that space.  
That gap.  
In a moments noticed, it could be filled with the care we have desperately tried/succeeded to pull back over the years.  
It's been… so many years.

It feels like minutes ago I had found out that she was the 8th digidestined, the one we were all searching for. And even then I think I knew that finding her wasn't just for the digital world, but for mine too.

It feels like Seconds ago that Azulongmon was explaining the importance and power of our crests, of us. The compelling compatibility.  
I remember the talk the two of us had about that on our separate time, later that evening.

"It's funny, isn't it?" Kari spoke up as we sat innocently upon the fire escape of her building. It had been a long day, a lot was going on with the combined worlds and we just decided to have a simple chat before we hit the official goodnight parting. Just the two of us, though. We liked that…  
The two of us.  
I set down the hot cocoa I was drinking while she brought that comment up, I then wiped off some residue from my upper lip. This was the only food/drink Mrs. Kamiya could prepare to the point where it was deliciously satisfying.  
"What's funny?" I pondered allowed to her.  
She kicked her legs up and down a bit on the old stairs we were sitting upon.

"How it ended up being me and you." She admitted, I could see a secret blush across her gentle face.  
I knew what she meant. Heck, I knew what she meant before she even began speaking.  
Kari and I were different than the other digidestined.  
Hope and Light were ultimately the base of the digital world. And if you really thought about it more… of our world as well. Of every world.  
To fight off darkness, you need light.  
But while there is light, there will always be darkness.  
Where do you find the love in the balance? Hope.  
"What do you mean?" I ask her, only because I want her to keep talking. She knows it too. Or at least she senses it.  
She throws me a bit of a side grin before sighing, then continuing.  
"Well… it's just… us. There aren't any other digidestines with our attributes, and we just so happen to go together… we almost need to. Plus, there's an irony to it." She tries to end, but she sees me continuing to gaze curiously upon her, so she proceeds after taking a sip of her cocoa. She doesn't notice the slight remains of whipped cream that managed to find it's way upon her cheek.  
"Our brothers… they're kinda the original leaders. The old prophecy from years ago, we kind of dismissed the fact that we may be the bigger picture here. Even now! Davis has the crests that Matt and Tai bare, as well as the other new kids. But we remain here, we stay this constant. And it's just funny that it's me and you… cause even as a child… I think I knew." She poured her heart out happily, contently, knowing it was us. I wondered if she would be this delighted if it was her and someone else, or if she's so happy because of me specifically. Either way, I'm still fixated on the wiped creme resting on her cheek, and without thinking any longer, I gracefully glide my thumb upon her frail skin, swiping it off without damaging her simplistic beauty in the slightest.  
She starts to blush, and I do too. We looked into each others eyes for distant seconds, captivated.  
This feeling: It's new, but not.  
It's always been there, just like the knowing she was just speaking of.  
We just wouldn't dare to address it out loud.

Abruptly, I get up, calling for Patoman before I tell her I better get going. She looks up at me in a mild wonder as she remains on the step.  
Patoman soars onto my cap and says some sort of farewell to gatomon that I drown out because I'm still looking into her eyes, even though I'm not.  
I begin to turn away to leave, until I decide we aren't finished here.

"You're right, Kari, about us. About the differences we share with only each other. The irony of our brothers being the leaders, although we're the heart. And I think it's pretty cool… Even more than pretty cool. But I guess what I'm trying to say is, I'm glad you're my person." I end with a smile. I try not to let it drop after realizing how stupid that sounded.  
"you're my person"  
What does that even mean!? I suppose I meant our crest pairing.

But I suppose I also meant more than that.  
Because I knew… I knew more than I knew anything else, that she was indeed my person.  
A soul mate, in other words.

And as I saw the fight of a smile sweeping upon her as she sat in front of me, I knew she knew too.

And now, we're here. Laying on the grassy park in Odaiba. Minutes from school, but a walk that felt like seconds, because I was with her.  
We were both 17 now. The digital world remained without troubles, and ours remained without digital world troubles. But oh how troubles still flowed on through.  
Our hands were touching slightly… just slightly.  
In the time that's past, we've remained best friends.  
We've remained each others person.  
It just goes without saying.  
Everyone is all still around, they're finding their lives, but they're around.  
Our Digimon partners accompany us still, they're more independent, and still not out in the open to the people world much. It's moderately okay in our town, due to all the digital relations, but still, we keep it on ease.  
But currently, in this moment, it was just Kari and I. No one else, not even our Digimon, we just fell into the pieces we have left open for one another.

"Isn't it funny?" Kari asks me, reminding me of the moment I was previously at.  
I turn my head to look at her as she keeps her focus to the clouds above us, she sees them through the shade of the trees. She's so beautiful. Her hair is longer now, a bit past her shoulders, and she's developed into a young woman, not a little girl. But I still see that little girl in glances, in sentences, in tears.  
"Enlighten me, Kari." I tease, even though she knows I'm serious. She always knows.

"Well… we still have that constant." She states, letting a little grin slip from her grasp.  
This time, I'm not entirely sure what she means.  
I have a hope of a thought.  
But I mean, I am the digidestined of hope, so I tend to find it in many things.  
It's silent between us, and I can tell she has the need to continue.

"At the moment, there's no great struggle that demands of the digidestined to save both worlds, but yet, we're still here… me and you. The remain of hope and light and their delicately special collide. Sometimes I wonder if it's because we both feel like we have to stick together because for so long, it's what we were never directly told, but knew it's what we had to do. But then I shake off my insecurity of a person, and remember the security of TK. You. And I smile… because after all this time, you're still my best friend. You still walk me home, lay with me in the park, play stupid videos games, crack jokes, and talk about everything… with me. And I want to say thank you, to you. Because I don't do it enough. I hope you don't put up with me, and I hope you enjoy me. This. Our careful balance of hope and light. Because it means the world to me." She explains. I see her sink into embarrassment towards the end, and I can't help but feel an incredible wave of joy/comfort because of it. We're so close to one another, but we still struggle with sharing our feelings ABOUT one another.

She lied though.

She says "thank you" more than enough. But I love her for it.

God, I'm so lucky to love her.  
Even if it is just the friendship sort of way.

I decide in that moment, to lock her hand with mine.  
I hear a little gasp from her when I do so, and I can't help but smirk because of it.  
I've held her hand once before… and I know her mind immediately went to that moment.  
But I'll save myself.

"I think I should be the one saying the 'thank you's' here. You sure are special, Kari Kamiya. And I'm very blessed to have you as the light to my hope." I simply say. I could go on for hours and hours continuing my point, but my thoughts tend to jumble up, leaving me feeling dumb.

It's because I'm crazy about her.

And she has no clue.

Suddenly with that thought, I remember our hands being locked, and decide then to interject another sentence.  
"Cant a best friend hold his best friends hand? Our brothers used to do it all the time. Probably still do every once and awhile." I joked with her. Her giggle escaped like a cool breeze on the hottest summer night.

And we remained there, intertwined in a form of distance. Closer though, than moments ago.  
Closer.

Kari's POV (A few days later)

"For fucks sake." I heard Yolei snap quietly to the left of me. I snapped out of the brief fog I was in and turned to her questionably.  
She made eye contact with me then cocked her head to the side a bit, then rolled her eyes.  
"Really, Kari?" She sassily remarked. I really had no clue to what she was going on about, and she realized that.  
Yolei was 18 now, and we were all finishing up Highschool. She was a year ahead of me, and had definitely matured since middle school. Her lavender hair was curled often, and she turned from nerdy, to hipster… I guess.  
And as she stared me down in the cafeteria of the school, I found myself re capturing my past innocence.  
"You were staring down TK like a hawk over there… thank god I pulled you out of your little trance before he noticed." She confesses.  
I felt my cheeks start to warm and I looked down at my food from embarrassment.  
"W-was I really?" I stuttered out, biting my lip before looking into her eyes again.  
She sighed heavily.  
Before I could get another word in, some of our friends sat down at the table with us, filling up our little group.  
"I just find it ridiculous that you haven't done anything about your little crush of yours. How long has this been going on, anyways?" She whispers more to me so others don't catch on.  
"Uh… Well… Probably since he saved me from piedmon." I answered her simply, immediately after realizing how fast I responded.  
Yolei's eyes were wider than ever.  
"But Kari… that was almost 10 years ago. You've dated since then! So has he!" She runs on, I giggle a bit at her.

"We all have that one crush we can't let go of, Yolei. But it doesn't matter because we go so much better as best friends. Or else something probably would have happened by now, don't you think?"  
"No. No I don't think so. I think now is the time. And you should go hang out with him, get to know his friends more. You guys are too much of an after school special." She insisted, while pushing me out of my seat.  
Everyone at the table was staring at me standing now, I awkwardly smiled back to them all while I grabbed my food to throw away, I had lost my appetite.

I straightened out my school uniform the best I could while I walked over to TK's table. It was filled with his basketball players I didn't really know.  
One of them saw me walking over and nudged TK playfully.  
When TK looked over to see me, a smile rose upon his face, and within an instant, he stood up and walked over to me happily.  
"Hey Kari!" He said excitedly.  
"Hi, TK." I replied back, a tad nervous for some reason. I didn't usually talk to TK during lunch. We conversed during passing periods, english since we had it together, and when we walked home. Occasionally, I missed our dangerous adventures in the digital world. I missed our team, and the hope and light team in the midst of it.  
He looked at me with a tint of confusion and concern before saying, "Is everything alright?"  
Oooh…  
I began to feel embarrassed with the thought of him thinking something had to be wrong for me to talk to him outside of the usual scenerios.  
"Yeah!" I tried to remove the nerves from my face "I was just wondering if I could sit with you today?" I asked him sweetly.  
His eyes twinkled cutely before his smile grew wide.  
"Of course you can! You don't have to ask. But you never sit with me… is Yolei running on about Ken or something?" He asked before leading me over to the table with his friends, motioning them to scoot over.  
"Oh, no. I don't know. I just… uh…" I rambled like an idiot, I didn't really plan this out. God why was I so nervous with him right now. Maybe because we were around other people.  
He laughed before smiling down.  
"Well either way, I'm glad you wanted to hang out with me." He said adorably.

He introduced me to the guys and they all politely said hello to me, he had some cute friends, I won't deny this.  
One of them, Evan, began flirting with me a bit during conversation which made TK a little uncomfortable, I think.  
Evan was a very attractive kid, messy brown hair, emerald eyes and definitely had a reputation as a ladies man.

"You're a really good dancer, Kari. Definitely the best on the dance team. The performances you all do during half time are way better than the cheerleaders." Evan complimented me sweetly.  
"Thanks, Evan! We work really hard."  
"Well it sure pays off. And don't tell the rest of your team, but you're the cutest too." He ended with a flirty grin you could see as he drank some gatorade. This made me blush a little.

And well… that's when TK put his arm around my waist, pulling me a little closer to him.

And that's when he knew, that I knew, he was jealous.

And that little thought made my heart skip all kinds of beats.

I knew he'd been jealous before when Davis tried his best to get my attention, but this time was different. He was trying to make it apparent to me without words that he didn't like Evan trying to win me over.

Or… maybe it was just TK, being protective TK. He's the only boy besides Tai that would do everything in his power to keep me safe.

I was crazy about him.

And he had no clue.

But as we casually sat amongst his laughing friends, them continuing their banter, we were almost in a world of our own. Or at least I was.  
Something was forming… even though it was already formed.  
It formed before we had even meant.  
This bond between us.  
But I think now, we were tired of fighting the closeness of us. We weren't kids anymore.

and we were… closer.


	2. Chapter 2: Opportunities

**This chapter is a bit rough. It's very late but I wanted to update before I went to bed (I didn't read it over... eeeep)! The action/adventure/plot/drama/all of the above should start to unfold in the next chapter:) Please let know what you think!**

TK's POV

I walked home with a bit of a hop in my step. I was childishly giddy and the thoughts of the simple happiness of today brought a certain joy I had been waiting for. I felt 13 again, getting excited over such innocent things.  
But I suppose if I thought about it really, I could be interpreted as quite the innocent kid… when it came to girls really.  
I had a couple girlfriends over the years, but none lasted long.  
They just didn't compare to _her_.  
Kari.  
It was undeniable how fixated on her I was and always have been.  
Today when Evan was flirting with her at lunch, my jealousy just ran through me and before I knew it I was pulling her into me like she was my girlfriend. I think she knew I was jealous… though I hoped she would think I was just trying to look out for her. And in a way, I was. I wouldn't want her with Evan. He wouldn't treat her the way… well… I would.  
When I made it home, I saw a face I had really grown to miss.  
My brother.  
He had been off with his studies in America and hadn't been home in a couple months.  
"Matt!" I yelled excitedly before running to him to give him such a cheesy little brother hug.  
He threw off the cap I bore upon my head and proceeded to ruffle my blonde hair, laughing.  
"So are you excited for this weekend or what!?" He shouted with his hands in the air.  
I looked back at him with an awkward loss… I definitely could not remember what was happening this weekend.  
"Oh don't tell me you forgot, little bro?"  
"I didn't forget! I'm just creating dramatic effect by giving myself time to respond, of course…"  
"Oh really?"  
"… Yeah… yeah no I forgot."  
"The digigathering in New York! We've had 4 years of digital peace and we have that big digidestined gathering, remember?" He annoyingly responded. He fell onto the couch and kicked his feet up on top of our center table.  
"Oh my gosh, I totally forgot! Did we get those rental houses all set up?" I asked him.  
He nodded with a little smirk.  
"You younger kids have one, and us older kids are your neighbors. I'm not sure where the other digidestines from around the world are staying, but we'll meet up with them throughout the time we're there, obviously." He informed me.

Tai and Matt had this idea awhile back, (after all us kids set up the plan for a get together to celebrate our battles four years ago) to rent two houses to stay at when we go to New York. We're there for 5 days, and no one really wanted to stay in hotels. So we found this cool little business about 30 minutes outside the city that rents out condos to vacationers. It seemed perfect to us, so we took the opportunity. I guess they decided to split us up by age, which was fine with me. I would have figured boy girl, but no way would I mention that to matt. Selfishly, I wanted all the time with Kari I could get. It had been awhile since we've done a digimon type adventure, and this time, there was no trouble. Just all us kids, having a good time and celebrating.

Or at least that's what I hoped for.

Kari's POV (the first night in NY)

Everyone had finally arrived in New York. Some of us decided to come through a digiportal so we could directly meet up with Mimi, others took the Imperialdramon express, and then there was good ol reliable Joe, who paid for airfare for him and cody, who still really looks up to the guy. Either way, we were all pretty tired and didn't plan on going out anywhere tonight. So all of us younger kids decided to head over to the originals house, where we ordered pizza, and watched movies. It was like a giant sleepover! Except half of us were sleeping across the street afterwards.  
"Guys I know what we should do!" Davis interjected immediately after the movie was finished. From all points of the room, eyes were locked on him, waiting for the energetic lad to continue.  
"Let's play truth or dare!" He suggested, throwing his hands in the air.  
TK and Matt groaned simultaneously, it must be a brother thing.  
"What are you, like, 12?" Yolei teased him before getting up from next to me, and sitting down on the ground next to Ken. The two of them had been dating for around a year and a half now, and things were going significantly well. I think they really balanced each other out.  
"No, I'm 17, Yolei, and you're never too old for a fun game of truth or dare. Except if you're like… 30. Then you're just too old for anything." Davis remarked confidently with his hands on his hips, chin strongly in the air. It made me giggle, and I could see TK turn his gaze to me from the other side of the living room we were in.  
"I'm up for it! I love a fun game of Truth or dare!" Mimi ran into the room from the connected kitchen.  
"Yeah guys, it'll be fun. Besides, we never do this stuff anymore." My brother Tai agreed.  
And before I knew it, we were all pushing every bit of furniture out of the center, so we could all sit around to play this game.  
I stood and watched Tai and Davis push the last things to the side of the room, when TK came up to me.  
"This game gives me anxiety." He joked along, I knew he kind of meant it though.  
"I think it's kind of fun! But you can sit by me, if you want?" I suggested before grabbing a throw pillow then sitting upon the floor.  
He sat down next to me and smiled.  
"Only if you want!" He replied.  
"Obviously I'd want you to sit next to me."  
"… Obviously?"  
I realized then how into him I made myself sound.  
"Well, you are my best friend and all." I cleared up.  
"Ah. Right." He concluded.  
Ugh, I really thought in time, things would get easier with us.

"Quick, someone dare me to kiss kari!" Davis yelled before the room replied with a universal "No!"

There was a pattern that began in the game, and that was that everyone decided to choose dare at first.  
They were funny things like:  
Tai prank called Mr. Fujiyama, which sent old memories back to us all, and probably will tally up to a fortune because long distance.  
Davis had to streak in his boxers around the neighborhood screaming "Prodigous" in his best Izzy imitation.  
Joe was dared to randomly delete 5 contacts on his phone, sending him into a slight panic after he erased his boss's number.  
Sora and Mimi gave each other blind make-overs.  
Yolei and Ken have to go without physically contact for the rest of the night.  
And loads of other funny things that really make me thankful for having them all as my friends.

"Okay Tai, truth or dare?" Cody asked him excitedly. We were all pretty energized now.  
"Truth."  
"Oh oh!" Davis barged in, throwing his empty red bull can to the side of him, hitting Yolei's crossed knee, making her send dagger eyes in his direction. "I got a good one." He added.  
"Well alright Davis, spit it out already." Matt tuned in, even he was laughing a bit.  
Davis sat up straight, then dramatically leaned forward in an interrogating manor towards my brother.  
"Did you ever have feelings for Sora?" His words rang out like sirens in an empty arena, even though the volume was low, and calm.  
I could see TK lean a little farther away from me when the question was asked, and everyone else adjusted awkwardly as well.  
Matt and Sora were still together, and no one ever decided to bring up, to Tai's face atleast, this dying curiosity. But here we are, all awaiting the truth to me shed.

"Well of course I did, she knows that, and so does Matt…" He began, seeming to gain a bit of weary confidence. Sora and Matt nodded their heads, and Sora gave him a subtle grin.  
"She was my first _real_ crush and I don't think that little sense of my childhood will ever go away. Neither will the memory of me throwing up in her hat… but the point is, kids, and I'm about to teach you a very important lesson…" He straightened his back before beginning. "Sometimes you may think someone is perfect for you. You may believe it with every ounce and fiber of your being, but it's very important to dig deep within yourself to see if you're in love with them, or just the idea of them. And don't get me wrong, I love Sora… but I don't think I could ever love her like Matt does. She's one of my closest friends, who I'll always have a 'what if' crush on… but I learned to let it go, and be happy for my close friends." Tai poured his heart out to us all, revealing a smile in the end. I was so proud of him, I knew he'd thought a great deal about this.

"But that doesn't mean you shouldn't go for it, if you really like someone. See what happens, because it might end up being the best thing possible." Matt added genuinely.

"He's right. And don't waste time… because opportunities don't last forever, and there's nothing worse than missing a chance." Tai finished up.

And I'm not really sure why, but after that little speech, Davis and Mimi decided to applaud, which lead the rest of us to do so too.

"Our brothers can be pretty cool sometimes, huh?" TK said as he scooted closer to me. I could already feel us drifting off into the world of just he and I even as the others talked amongst themselves around us. It was almost like we couldn't fight it. Or, I couldn't.  
"They really are. A close second to their younger siblings." I joked, it wasn't even funny, but he laughed anyways.  
And then… we were just staring contently into each others eyes.  
I wondered if TK ever wanted to take a chance on me. If he ever had feelings for me like I did for him. We always would tell each other we cared for one another, but what was the extent of that? I hope one day I'll have the pleasure of knowing, and understanding.  
Wow he's cute.  
We continued to look at one another, observing each others features, and the colors in our eyes. Suddenly, his fingers carefully pulled a strand of hair away from my face and behind me right ear. Oh I know I was blushing now. How embarra-  
"TK… Hellooooooo…" Izzy dragged on, finally snapping us both out of our little trance, distancing ourselves from the closeness once again. Like we always did.  
"Sorry… is it my turn?" he remarked, still fogged.  
"Yeah, and I'm asking." Tai answered intimidatingly.

TK's POV

I can't pick truth, there's no way I can pick truth! If I pick truth, Tai will ask me about Kari in front of everyone. I can't do that yet, I'm not ready, eventhough by now I really should be. Matt knew I liked Kari, which I'm sure is why he said what he said, but Tai, I wasn't certain. I knew he definitely had suspicions though. Hell, they all did.

"Truth or Dare?" He asked me.

But before I could give an answer…

"Guys!" Gatomon said guilty but urgently, as she came running down the hall with Patomon.  
"There's a Digimon outside the house! Without a digidestined!" Patomon frantically added.

It better not be trouble.


	3. Chapter 3: Red Flag

Tai's POV

We all found ourselves slowly finding the windows to creep outside, so we could maybe get a better view of this Digimon. Our Digimon partners quietly found their ways over to us, and we prepared ourselves for the worse. It had been a long time since a battle, but we were ready.

"Davis, should I digivolve?" Veemon asked his partner.  
Davis looked at ken with urgency before whispering to him to get ready.

"Guys, remain calm. We haven't even seen what's up yet." I said.

And with that remark, I noticed Matt and TK looking through the peephole of the front door.  
Matt rolled his eyes before opening the door immediately, making the rest of us besides TK, gasp a bit.

And that's when Terriermon walked through into the home, followed by Lopmon.  
Sighs of relief filled throughout the room.  
"Why does everyone look so scared?" Terriermon asked us, confusion flooding his face.  
"We weren't really expecting… you two." Sora answered the question.  
After that, an older looking Willis stumbled in.  
"Hey guys! You all look like you saw a ghost, hope we didn't freak you out by showing up unannounced."  
"Willis! What a pleasant surprise!" Izzy shouted, greeting the pal he's had for quite sometime.  
Willis had definitely grown up a bit since the last time I saw him. He visited us all around a year after the others helped him out back in America. He was a bit more muscular, and taller.  
I noticed him send a bit of a smile to Yolei and my sister. I don't know if I was really cool with that…

"So, what brings you here, Willis?" Cody asked the boy.  
He smiled around at us all before continuing.  
"You think… maybe you have room for one more?" He charmingly asked us digidestines.  
"Willis," Davis started, slapping him friendly on the back, "for you, pal, of course we do."

After Willis said his thank you's, the younger kids decided it'd be best if they headed back to there house anyways. It was getting late and I'm sure a big day would be ahead of us tomorrow.  
While everyone was packing up their stuff, I noticed Tk and Kari were talking in serious conversation to their digimon partners.  
I made my way nearby them, picking up trash so I could properly listen in on the conversation.

"How did you guys not realize it was Terriermon and Lopmon?" Tk asked tiredly.  
"Yeah, you guys sorta freaked everyone out…" Kari added.  
Patamon and Gatomon looked defeated at one another, and sighed.  
"Kari we really thought… it was… Well look, we're sorry." She tried to explain. I looked over at Kari, and I could tell she felt bad for mildly scolding her friend, and so did TK.  
"But TK, Gatomon and I have been so-" but before Patamon could finish, Gatomon placed her paw on him, signaling him to stop talking.  
TK and Kari shared concerned looks amongst each other.  
"Gatomon, let Patamon finish." Kari instructed.  
"Yeah Patamon, go ahead." TK said.  
The two digimon looked at their partners with a bit of worry.  
"Well, we've both just been rather paranoid lately. Gatomon and I didn't want to worry you both, but we've just been so uneasy these past couple of weeks." Patamon explained, gatomon nodded along.

TK and Kari definitely were connected to the digital world in a different way than the rest of us… and if their digimon felt like something was up, this was definitely a red flag.

"TK, Kari, come one let's go!" Yolei shouted to them while the others were walking out the door.  
I watched them get up and proceed to head out, but just before they did, I grabbed Kari's hand, making TK stop as well, which I figured he would.  
"Look… you two… if something weird comes up and you need help, don't hesitate to ask me and the others. I would hate for you to fight battles on your own. We're all one big team here, we're family, even." I said to them both.  
Kari smiled then brought me into a warm and thankful hug.  
"Thanks, Tai. You're the best." TK added in.

I watched them walk out the doors together. It was a delightful sight, really, those two. They had always been so close. Maybe it was because they were both the youngest when it was just us 8, or maybe it was because they were hope and light, they truly just went together. I think it was all that and so much more.

And I knew they loved each other. Matt and I had known for a long time that it would happen. Now we were just waiting _for them_ to realize.

TK's POV

Aside from the fact that we had bedrooms we shared, we all decided to camp out in the living room tonight. It was a genuine sleepover. All of our digimon with us as well, it was great.  
Almost everyone was asleep right now.  
Cody was out immediately.  
Yolei and Ken were slightly cuddled into each other.  
Kari fell asleep next to Patamon and Gatomon, who were all fairly close to me. If I rolled over, I'd be close enough to grab Kari's hand… which I really wanted to do. But instead, I held back.  
Currently, I was pretending I was asleep, but really I was listening in on Willis's and Davis's conversation. They were the only ones still awake and chatting.

"I'm glad you came, Willis. I missed ya pal. We all did!" Davis said quietly, he was doing a fine job at not being loud.  
"Me too. It's nice to be around other digidestined." He replied.  
"Yeah, I could see where it could get lonely."  
"It's gotten a lot better, and I've met a few others… but none quite like you all. And definitely none as cute as Yolei and Kari."  
"Hey man, we're not going through this again." Davis grew playfully serious.  
Willis chuckled.  
"I'm kidding, I know Yolei is with Ken and Kari… well… did you manage to get her? I mean I know you had a big thing for her for awhile."  
Davis sighed in response.  
"Nah, Kari isn't into me and she never will be. I've excepted my fate. I still joke around with her though, I think that's just sorta how our friendship works."  
I could almost feel Willis's excitement to hearing Kari was attainable.  
"Sooo… you wouldn't mind if I maybe… went for her?" Willis asked.  
My heart started beating pretty fast then, and I was definitely jealous. Just the thought of it made me so-  
"I don't really think you should…" Davis said, interrupting my angered thought.  
"What? Why? It's not like you still like her."  
"I know, I know. This isn't about me." Davis awkwardly rambled. I wondered where he was going with this.  
"Then who is it about-"  
"It's about TK." Davis concluded. It took all my strength not to gasp.

"It's just… if anyone should get Kari, it should be him." Davis detailed.  
"Wow Davis, I never thought I'd hear you say that. May I ask why, exactly?" Willis questioned further, which was good, because I was curious as well.

"For so long I tried to be perfect for Kari, and it was almost like, TK never had to try. He just was and is. Everything about them fits, even their crests and digimon. And I don't think it's fair to interfere with something that is… well… meant to be. That sounds so cheesy and cliche but I just feel like it's gotta be true." Davis explained.

"Yeah, I guess your right." Willis replied.

I couldn't believe Davis said that. That was so genuine and cool of him, and after all the years he called me TS, and TO, and anything else that wasn't TK, I could finally see how true of a friend he was. Sure we had rough patches, and we teased, but that's just how our friendship was.

Davis is one great guy.

One of the best I've ever known.


	4. Chapter 4: It worked for now

**A/N I'm starting to get an idea on where I want this story to go, I hope you guys stick around to see with me:) Thanks for reading. Also I'd love if you'd review! I love reading them :) Thanks!**

It was dark.  
Not completely, though. It was at that uncomfortable in between of a fogged grey.  
But it felt dark, that was one thing that was absolutely certain about this place TK had found himself in.  
It was a forests of sorts.  
He thought about the possibility of it being endless, and he could feel a rawness in the pit of his stomach with that.  
_An endless gloomy maze would be true hell._ he thought to himself.

Kari stood on the other side of it, questioning to herself whether she should venture in, or if she should remain on the outside.  
She stood there for quite sometime until she realized she had yet to see what was behind her.  
When she turned, she saw an endless field of beautifully cut grass. The kind of field you could lay upon for hours in a peaceful melody.  
She looked up, entering the presence that was a perfect starry night.

It was flawless.

Here she was, feet away from the grace of utter tranquility, and she found herself edging towards the gloomy woods.

_Why am I even considering going in there? It seems miserable compared to what's been given to me in this starry land. What's in there that's pulling me?_ her thoughts poured through.

Suddenly, she found her feet moving for her, carrying her deep within the forest.

Now, both her and TK were stumbling over branches, cutting up their gentle skin, and running as fast as their legs could take them… but mainly, they were searching.  
Searching for what, exactly? They were uncertain.

But really, it was quite clear...

Each other, of course.

Light can not go without hope.  
And Hope, is lost without light.

And even without realizing this truth, as she ran, Kari suddenly shouted, "TK!"  
She didn't know why she shouted for her best friend, but she continued running, hoping she'd somehow find him here anyways.

TK stopped in his tracks when the echo of his name finally reached him.  
"Kari…" He said quietly to himself as a slight smile skimmed across his face.

"Kari!" He yelled in response, picking up his feet once again.

And as he sprinted back through the grey, he knew he would find her, just as he always did.

When it happened… when they _found_ each other… it was very quick.  
quick, meaning: it was like they wandered for so long until Kari voiced his name. Yet, when he called back, it only took moments.  
They saw each other in the brush of the trees, simply stopped, and smiled.

Instantly, they were laying on the grassy field that Kari had seen before she ventured on her search.

They laid there looking up at the stars. Their hands intertwined.

"TK…" Kari muttered as she played with his hand in hers.  
"Yeah Kari?" He replied, turning his head from the stars, over to her.  
She remained in thought for a brief period of time, trying to gather to gather them.  
Tk just kept his gaze upon her.  
She was as beautiful to him as any perfect night. She was so much more.

"Is this how it's always going to be?" She asked him.  
He scrunched his brows as he looked at her.  
"What do you mean?" He asked.  
She then let go of his hand in hers, and sat up, still not facing him.  
He sat up along with her.

"Us. Being friends." She answered.  
He awkwardly laughed before adding, "Well I sure hope so."  
He hoped their friendship would never end, but Kari seemed sad, and like she had more to say. She was building a wall, and TK didn't like the fact that she was keeping him, of all people, out.  
"You really don't get it, do you?" she chuckled slightly to herself.  
"No… I guess I don't."

She took a jagged breath, her nerves visibly getting the best of her.

"I mean… _just_ friends." She finally revealed, putting her head down. She began to play with her hands.  
TK stared back in a bit of a shock. His eyes wide. Could Kari possibly want… more? He never thought… well I mean, he hoped, but he never truly believed she wanted a romantic relationship with him.

Kari felt a minimal panic as TK stayed silent, she didn't know he was deep in a positive thought.

"Well gee Kari, I never thought you wanted more than that. I mean, Uh… _do you_ want more than that?" He said, himself looking down now. His hope suddenly growing within him.  
After another moment of silence, she turned her view onto the blonde haired boy, making him look back.  
A blush crept across her face.  
"Well do _you_ want that?" She shot the question back to him.  
All he did was laugh, making his eyes twinkle, keeping the blush across her gentle face. She truly thought he was the most adorable thing.

"You really have to ask me that?" A smiling TK answered with a question.  
She blinked cutely back, in a mild shock because she believed she knew what he meant by that.  
"I… I uh…" She stuttered hopelessly with her eyes locked on his.

"Kari, I'm crazy about you. And if you want something more than just the friendship we have now, I would definitely be up for that. Not that I don't think our friendship is the best thing that's ever happened to me, because it is, but I would like to be able to hold your hand and know that you know it's not just because you're a cool friend, but because you're someone I absolutely adore. And I promise I wouldn't want us to rush into anything serious, because I know it'd be a new transition for the both of us and…" Tk was suddenly interrupted by Kari's giggling.  
He stared back confused and blushing.  
"What?" He asked, awkwardly laughing back.  
Then it hit him, she was probably laughing at all the babbling he was doing.  
"I'm rambling, aren't I?" He chuckled now too.  
She nodded her head as her giggles calmed down.

"TK…" She began.  
He waited patiently for her to finish her thought.

"I'd really like that." She concluded with a cute little grin.  
TK's eyes and smile grew overwhelmingly wide after hearing her positive response.  
And just when it looked like he was about to say something, he was interrupted by natural causes. The ground and everything around them began to shake, startling the two.

"Is it an earthquake?" Kari asked frantically after grabbing TK's hand.  
He didn't answer her since he wasn't entirely sure.

All of a sudden, the beautiful starry night above them grew fogged, and the healthy grass they were laying on became dry dirt.  
The forest TK was at first lost in, began growing towards them.  
When the Earthquake type thing stopped, TK pulled Kari up and motioned her to run with him, away from the forest looking to consume them.

"You can't run forever, Digidestined." A deep voice echoed around them.  
TK heard Kari gasp but he kept his courage level up, he thought of what Tai would do in a situation like this, and he figured continuing to run would be okay. He wasn't planning on running forever, but he wasn't planning on anything else either.

But it looked as though the voice had another plan, for it decided to stop them in their tracks, by consuming them in a never-ending darkness. Now it was almost like they were floating in space, absolutely helpless.

"TK, I'm scared." Kari admitted, she squeezed his hand a tad.  
He pulled her into him and she wrapped her arms around his waste, also digging her head into his side.  
"I promise I'll never let anything happen to you. I mean, have I yet?" He tried to joke with her, to maybe ease the mood.  
It worked a little it seemed as she continued to cuddle him in.

All of a sudden, a dark, shadowy figure appeared intimidatingly in front of them. It was Large, maybe 9ft tall, but it was currently in the shape of a blob.

And that's when Kari got cold.  
"The darkness…" Her little voice rang out.  
TK looked down at her with great concern.  
"Stay strong, Kari. I'm right here with you. Hope and light, remember?" He encouraged her. But even he was scared. Although, he would never let Kari see it.

"Well look who it is, the bearers of Hope and Light, the favorite amongst the dark digimon." The darkness sarcastically spoke to the two. "Soon, Digidestined, I'll be able to contact you in full form. And not even the two of you will be able to stop me." The evil voice crushed through. Before the digidestined could even get a word in, a shot of powerful darkness blazed through them…

Waking the two of them up from the nightmare given to them both.

Kari's POV

I looked over at TK not to far away from me on the floor. We both had just woken up at the same time, and were also in a mild panic.  
That's when I wondered if TK just had the same dream I did.  
He was breathing heavily, blankly facing forward, before the sudden thought (of me?) hit him, because a concern brushed through his face before he turned quickly over to me.  
He looked surprised to see me staring back knowingly.

"Please tell me you just had the same dream I did so I can hug you without having to explain that I thought I may have just lost you." He whispered exhausted but cutely to me. The others were still sleeping, since it was still early morning.  
I simply nodded with a smile. He is entirely too cute.

The blondie rolled over to me, then opened his arms for me to cuddle in to.  
I heard him sigh as I tried my best not to let any tears fall from my eyes.  
The others remained asleep, even our digimon.

"Are we going to tell the others about the dark figure?" I asked the boy. I think he could tell I was trying exceptionally hard not to cry from fear.  
"We have to. We're a team, and this concerns them too." He answered me, stroking my hair and comforting me.

We laid in silence for some time. That dream was tiresome and utterly real. The thought of another darkness out there was terrifying... but still... there were good parts of that dream.

Great parts.

And now understanding that it wasn't something I created in my subconscious, it hit me.

TK and I had that moment.

That was real.

And our feelings were pleasantly out on the table.

Which made me smile.

"What?" TK asked me curiously in response of my sudden grin.

I gazed sweetly into his gorgeous blue eyes.

"Soooo… you're crazy about me, huh?" I teased him.  
His face grew in a form of a shock and his cheeks went red.  
"Maybe." He flirted back, before tickling me.

I tried my hardest to find quiet laughter.  
It worked for now.

This playfulness… worked for now.

Because as much as he tried to hide it, I knew he was scared too.

And all of this, was just beginning.


	5. Chapter 5: Familiars

**A/N: Hey guys! Sorry it's been awhile since I've updated. I wasn't really sure where I wanted to take this story, but now I've sorta got some ideas. It may be a little different than expected, but I hope you enjoy it anyways! (This chapter is sort of a filler so I'm sorry if you think it's kind of bleh)**

Matts POV

When TK and Kari informed us all on their joint dream, it did send off a bit of a scare. Thinking that another dark digimon was after us, was not something we all wanted to hear.  
Eventually though, we all decided to spend the time on our trip normally, and not wait for something to attack.  
Not that we weren't alert! I mean, we took it a point to warn the other worldwide digidestined's on the matter, so that we could all keep our guards up.

But as of now… nothing was out of the ordinary.  
We've been here for 3 days now and the only thing that was different was… well… TK and Kari.  
But it wasn't a bad different.  
Just weird, really.

I looked over at TK as we (plus Tai and Izzy) walked over to meet the others for lunch in the park. He did seem to have a happy little glow upon his face. He was far too smug for someone who was recently targeted by darkness.

"Hey TK, can I talk to you for a second?" I blurted out, breaking up the conversation that was happening upon the three of them.  
He awkwardly laughed before walking back to me, so we tagged a bit behind Tai and Izzy.

"What's up?" He asked me with that same smile.  
"Umm… _that_. You've been in a weird mood these last couple of days, what happened?" I shot the question back.  
He looked down, definitely trying his best to fight another smile creeping up inside of him.

"Just… things are good is all."

"You and Kari just had a connected dream about a terrifyingly dark digimon blob thing and you're telling me things are good?" I asked again, even though everything was suddenly revealed the moment Kari's name left my lips.  
Because right when it did, the side of his lip began to curl into a smile.  
No doubt, something must've happened with Kari.

"Well…" He began to say before glimpsing over at Tai to see if we were in a comfortable distance.  
"What happened with Kari?" I whispered to him with curiosity, shocking him with my new sense of comprehension towards the matter.

He laughed a bit before a childish blush slipped across his complexion.  
"Well I hope you don't get upset, but we may have left a little part out of our description of the dream… more happened before the darkness appeared.. ha. We basically confessed our feelings for each other. Which are mutual. Which is also the best thing ever." My little brother revealed like an very thrilled little boy.

finally.

"Wait… so are you guys… like… together?" I asked another question.

"Well no."

"Why not!?"

"Haha! Matt it's not that simple."

"Seems pretty simple to me since the two of you have been crushing on each other since the dawn of time."

"Matt… It really_ isn't_ that simple… listen to me for a second… Like you said already, there is a dark digimon targeting us. And Kari doesn't think right now would be the best time to dive into something and let everyone know. I mean, could you imagine if Yolei found out? Or Tai! It would just be too much." He tried his best to explain.

He did have a point.

"But Tai and the others would be thrilled!" I encouraged him back.

"You say that _now_." He replied sarcastically.  
Which made me think…  
Tai and I have talked about the fact that our little siblings had unsettled feelings towards one another. And when I asked him if he'd be okay with TK dating Kari one day, he replied with a yes.

But I do wonder what would happen if the situation actually did take place. I don't know if he'd be too keen right away.  
It is his little sister, after all.

_

TK's POV

"No. Nope you're wrong. And you're weird." I laughed to my bestfriend as she took a little bite of her pizza. Her blush was insanely visible and once again she was driving me absolutely mental by her innocent cute.  
"I am not wrong and I am not weird!" She adorably defended herself, knowing her playful anger wouldn't phase me one bit.  
"Kari…" I began, shifting my position to face her properly, before I continued my thought. "You're wrong. I've always been taller than you. And you thinking that me continuing my obsession of caps just to be taller than you, is weird… and also false." I joked with her.  
She rolled her eyes before a mischievous idea graced through her.

"Mimi!" She yelled over a few feet to our friend, who was chatting to Matt and Sora about something.  
Mimi immediately shot up excitedly when she heard Kari's call, and noticing that I was with her.

Mimi was always… well… rather enthusiastic about Kari and I.  
She looked at Kari like she was this little princess and she looked at me like I was the prince in shining armor.  
Not that I didn't like that idea.

But the point was, whenever she got the chance to interact with us and play matchmaker, she would.  
Oh little did she know things with Kari and I were already taking that turn.

"What's up, hun?" she asked Kari enthusiastically, just like I assumed would happen.  
"TK and I need you to help us out with something…" Kari began.  
I looked at her with a hint of confusion, since I had no clue where she was going with this.  
Mimi's eye's instantly lit up

But before she could ask if it was wedding plan related (thank god), Kari interjected.

"Who was taller when we were kids? Me or TK?"

Mimi laughed rather hard at Kari's childlike question.

"Why you of course!" She said, motioning to Kari like it was something everyone and their mothers knew.  
Kari looked at me, prouder than over.  
But I knew she was always taller than me when we were kids.  
I knew plenty of the things I teased her with, knowing she was right.  
I just liked to see the look on her face when she beat me at something.

"Need anything else, cuties?" Mimi asked us, I almost forgot she was still there for a second.  
"Oh uh, nah we're fine Mimi." I answered.  
She the gave the two of us suspicious looks before releasing a sly little smile.

"Don't worry, I won't tell anyone." Mimi muttered happily.  
Kari and I looked at each other, than at Mimi with curiosity.

"Ya know… that the two of you are together… _together_ together." She laughed quietly, even though part of her voice gave off that she knew the worlds best secret.

I knew Kari and were both blushing when Mimi revealed that she knew. I had no idea how she figured it out, Kari and I weren't acting very different… but this was Mimi, after all. The girl was a mystery. Allthough truthfully, we weren't exactly together… we just had a common understanding of feelings, I guess?  
But something urged me to speak up after that, knowing Kari wouldn't.  
And somehow I softened my guard and said,

"Thanks Mimi." basically confirming it.

Mimi's eyes lit up with excitement as she used all of her strength not to hug Kari in some sort of congratulation.  
After that little spur, she quickly calmed down and walked back over to Sora.

Kari and I sat there in silence for a while.  
I couldn't tell if it was awkward or not, but I hoped it wasn't.  
I watched her get up from the park bench we were sitting on, unsure if she wanted me to follow her or not.  
Immediately after that thought, she turned to me with a cute smile.  
"Come on, let's go for a walk… away from the others." She said.

As we walked around the other end of the park, we chatted about how the trip itself was going, I told her that Matt knew about the both of us, and we both found out that neither of us had dreamed since_ the dream._

"Do you think that's weird at all? I mean, I think it is a little suspicious." Kari expressed her feelings towards the matter.  
"Well maybe. I don't know enough about the matter to make a logical assumption, unfortunately." I recalled.  
Kari sighed tiredly before locking her hand with mine, making me gasp a little. She always had subtle ways of throwing me off balance.

"I just want to go home…" She admitted.  
I looked at her a little confused, but at the same time, I wasn't. I could tell she felt a little out of place here, and she was also probably scared of the darkened uncertainty.

"Soon, Kari. Soon we'll be home where everything is familiar. And maybe I can even take you on a proper date, if you'd like that?" I asked, trying my best to be adorable. I think it worked when she answered with a cute and kind smile.  
"I'd love that, TK." She assured me further.

She came closer to me as we continued to walk.  
I could almost feel her heart growing more comfortable with this closeness we were building between the two of us.

Suddenly, she spoke up.  
A simple sentence that would truthfully say, so so much.

"Honestly… no place has felt familiar in a very long time."


End file.
